The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-08
STOP NOW, YOUNG MAN.
Joy, Health and Prosperity the Result
"a Life of SObriety.

Joy, Health and Prosperity the Result Of
Life of SObriety.
You can not travel far on a railroad
without seeing board, with the word
"Stop" conspicuously displayed on it.
This word of command is so placed
that the engineer can not help seeing
it; ard when he does not, fearful acct
dent may be the result.
Engineers are not the only persons.
for whom there should be signal
The young man of the period needs to,
have the word stop where he can
see it very often. He is on fast train,
and little does he think of danger
ahead. But it is there; and alas! how
often is there wreck of character and
of prospects that were the prophecy of
a long and happy career.
There is time to let on full head
of steam; but there is also a time when
afull stop is the only way to escape de-
strnction.
You are away from home, are you?
and you find the evenings lonesome?
A well-dressed young man, whose place
of business is next to yours, drops in;
and, by his invitation, you go out with
him for walk. He says he will show
you the sights, and he has been in the
city good while.
You go out with your new-made
friend from time to time, and soon
you learn, or think you have learned,
that glass of wine is one of the incest
drinks in the world. Claret won t.
hurt you. You have read in the news
papers that ceiebr ated man said:
IF you want glass of claret with
your beefsteak, and can afford it,
you're fool if you don't have it." So
you have it. Now, my young friend,
you have on all the steam you can
carry. There is danger ahead. Stop"
What is that you are reading? The
covers look little yellow; the print is
t.ne and the paper is poor All, yes! it
is a dime novel. Did you ever see q
parcel of birds fitting about thresh-
ing-machine? l used to see them
quite often when Twas boy. Wher-
ever wheat had been scattered, there
you would find bird taking square
meal, with the ground for table, and
a dear little bill for knife, fork,
spoon, and all the rest of the dishes.
But never saw bird trying to fill its
crop with chat.
Dime novels are worse than chaff.
They fill the head very fast, but they
make very poor filling. To the reader
of such miserable trash | would say:
"Stop." Then do as the engineer
sometimes does when he has stopped
his train. Back up and switch off onto
another track.
The world is full of good reading.
Why feed your mind on chaff when
you can do so much better? Did you
say you could not afford books? Let
us see. l notice that you smoke.
"Oh, yes; but only couple of cigars a
day." Indeed! Well, supposing your
two cigars to be five-centers, the blue
smoke that you blow into the air in
one year costs you $50. 50-a sum which
would pay for all the best magazines
in the country for year.
A full-toned organ has, Idon't know,
how many stops. A high-toned young
man needs almost as many stops as an
organ. Mind your stops, and your life
will be full of music. Joy, health and
prosperity will be yours.
But if you do not stop your wine
and tobacco, and worthless reading,
depend upon it you will run off the
track some day. So come at once to u
full stop, "-Eg6ert L. Bangs, in our
Young People.